Watch :: Hartheim - Welcome To Hartheim

Our Track Of The Day last month from the Manchester outfit, Hartheim, now receives an equally compelling visual accompaniment.

Like previous work 'Yellow', 'Welcome To Hartheim' is no less absorbing for the ears or the eyes. This is also perhaps the first chance many will have had to glimpse sight of the Hartheim band themselves, who have hitherto kept something of a low and mysterious profile.

Filmed in black and white on the derelict top floor of one of Manchester's oldest buildings, director Jack Bottomley set out to convey the atmosphere of unrivalled suffering through distorted choreography.

"The story behind the video stems directly from the lyrical content in the track. The main focus was to reflect the appalling subject matter with haunting visuals and contemporary movement, using them to build on the narrative laid out in the song. The video explores the lost relationship between a mother and son at Hartheim Castle. I worked closely with Abbie Coughlan, the featured dancer, to express the emotional clash through her performance. For me, the choreography is a passionate struggle between her tortured grief and her disbelief at what is going on around her. Yet, all of this aching would never exist if it weren’t for such a strong bond in what is life’s most instant connection. The result is a video that is stark, angry, and yet somewhat beautiful."